Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-04-08
OLYMPIA. WASHINGTON TE0
OLYMPIA. FRIDAY EVENING, APR 5. 1857.
Is il RefOrm-Or What?

Is ~ lAVlOl A w
Though it would be difficult, if not
impossible to conceive of a more OBJ
noxious policy of reform in the Adj
ministration of the Federal Govern
ment than that Of leaving its Admin
istration in the hands of the appointees
of the defeated party, the rank and file
of the Democracy, if not cordially,
have tacitly acquiesced in this policy,
upon the reiterated assurances of the
President that the matter of an entire
change was only q question of time,
and that all of the offices would be
filled by Democrats before the close of
his Administration. The question
now arises, What did that promise,
which he has so often made, mean?
If there was no bubble about it, and
we do not think there was, it meant
that the President, as soon as his view
of the law would permit him to do so,
would place the patronage of the Ad-
ministration in the hands of its parti-
san friends; that upon the occurrence
of vacancies he would appoint Demo
cratic Governors, Secretaries, Surveyor
Generals, Land Officers, Collectors,
Judges, Postmasters and other officers,
to take the places of Republican in
cumbents. There is no doubt that
that was what his promise meant, and
there is no doubt that he has carried it
out in good faith as fast as he could,
under his view of civil service reform.
And why does he make these changes?
There is scarcely occasion for an an
swetsto this question. He does it fol-
the same reason that has actuated
every preceding Administration; be-
cause he believes he owes it to the
party whose representative he is, to
select his assistants in the Admins
tration of the Government from their
ranks, and to place the patronage in
the hands of those who will naturally
support its policy and promote its sue
>cess.
These being the reasons why Presi-
dent Cleveland substitutes Democrats
for Republicans in Office, as fast as he
can; reasons which seem to be re-
ceived a. good and sufficient by Dem
ocrats and Republicans alike, 80 far as
Presidential appointments are con-
cerned, we have heard the question
asked very often, "Why the long de-
layed changes in the heads of Federal
Offices in this Territory are seldom or
never followed by a change of the sub
ordinatesf" The yeriest sucking in
politics knows that, in a partisan view,
the value of every Federal Office is in
exact proportion to the amount of pa
tronage connected with it; that a
Federal officer who has the appoint
ment Of one deputy or clerk can help
his party to some extent by giving
That position TO some person who will
in . legitimate and proper way advo-
cate and support the principles and
policy of his party, and that the Fed
eral officer, who has the appointment
of twenty deputies or clerks, can help
his party twenty times as much. The
converse of this proposition is also
true. The Democratic Federal officer
who continues the Republican depu-
ties or clerks of his predecessor in Of
fee, is simply arming, equippihg and
maintaining that many soldiers for the
other side, each one of whom can do
ten times the mischief that he could
If standing in the ranks Of the army to
which he belongs; for let what may
be said concerning the restraints i'm
posed by the rules Of civil service re-
form among all Of the class who seek
and hold subordinate political Offices,
there are few if any who will not work
their positions to their full value for
the success Of their party; and to this
" il to be added the unquestionably de-
moralizing influence upon the rank
and file of the Democratic party who,
r seeing their leaders, those who have
reaped the honors and rewards of their
victory and received the best Offices,
distribute the positions at their dis
posal among their opponents, are
quite naturally filled with a disgust
which is by no means confined to
those who seek, expect or desire Office
Of any kind. A man may not want
ofAce himself, but there are none,
Democrats or Republicans, who do not
wish to see their own party friends in
Office when they have carried the day,
OF who do not feel that those who have
been appointed to the leading posi-
tons because they are Democrats, owe
it to their party to give the subordi-
nate positions likewise to Democrats.
The STANDARD realizes that it has
An onerous duty to perform. 1t has
never finched when confronted by the
enemy, and does not now propose to
desert its post when the commissioned
officers in its party have allowed the
camp 20 become filled with stragglers,
spies and deserters, intent upon pillage
and rapine. 1t has spoken plainly
upon the subject but always kindly,
and will continue to do 80 until all
doubt on the subject ceases.
THE fact that pendant to Mr.. Har-
courts cravat stopped bullet aimed
at his heart, suggests a new form OF
life-preserver. Why may we not make